Our success fairly depends on relatively new events continuing to be added to the games. Going through the years Canada tends to have a whole lot of success at new, or relatively new disciplines and events.

When other nations start sniffing around those disciplines more the going gets particularly tougher.

Lets be clear here too. Hockey and the Men's Downhill are the glory events. Win either and those get remembered forever.

For any winter country the Men's downhill, and particularly in Europe is just a huge event and few others match the support. Win the Mens Olympic downhill and you're a legendary figure forever.

I think the term powerhouse is a bit misleading until we compete better in some of the primary, heavily contested events.

Well to be fair, Canada is one of the most versatile teams at the Olympics. We can pull medals from almost every sport. If Canada isn't a powerhouse, I'm not really sure who would be.

Agree that the downhill is the most prestigious event. But it is only one medal set available. You can say Canada isn't a powerhouse since they aren't competitive in it, but then Austria and Switzerland aren't competitive in speed skating or any freestyle skiing or snowboarding events. Same goes for Norway who dominates cross country and biathlon but is a factor in little else.

Thinking about it now, there aren't really that many events that are "heavily contested" as far as having a wide variety of nations contending for medals. Practically every event has only a handful of countries that claim the medals year after year.

Well to be fair, Canada is one of the most versatile teams at the Olympics. We can pull medals from almost every sport. If Canada isn't a powerhouse, I'm not really sure who would be.

Agree that the downhill is the most prestigious event. But it is only one medal set available. You can say Canada isn't a powerhouse since they aren't competitive in it, but then Austria and Switzerland aren't competitive in speed skating or any freestyle skiing or snowboarding events. Same goes for Norway who dominates cross country and biathlon but is a factor in little else.

Thinking about it now, there aren't really that many events that are "heavily contested" as far as having a wide variety of nations contending for medals. Practically every event has only a handful of countries that claim the medals year after year.

Well heres an odd thing to consider in view of what I stated about Canada doing well in newer events and disciplines.

Outside of the events introduced subsequent to say the Calgary Olympics in 88 Canada doesn't get a whole lot of medals. In the more traditional disciplines Canada doesn't fare too well at all.

Economically speaking, and per capita we're one of the few countries in the world that can throw huge coin and training and facility expense at some of the newer disciplines. So we tend to do well in those disciplines.

We're one of the larger contingents as well if I recall at these games.

The own the podium has done well, I don't disagree, but I'd say its also around par for the course for the type of Athletes we pump out. We still have out and out Olympic disaster athletes like Jeremy Witherspoon, or Manuel Osbourne-Paradis who always underperform at Olympics.

Well heres an odd thing to consider in view of what I stated about Canada doing well in newer events and disciplines.

Outside of the events introduced subsequent to say the Calgary Olympics in 88 Canada doesn't get a whole lot of medals. In the more traditional disciplines Canada doesn't fare too well at all.

Well this is true, but events introduced since 88 make up a large portion of the games now. Stuff like short track and ski moguls have been around long enough that they're not niche events that a couple countries ahead of the curve just pound on everyone. We rack up our medals in those events just like the Nordic countries rack them up in cross country and biathlon. I guess what I'm saying is I don't consider countries like Norway a powerhouse just because they dominate events that have been around longer.

But I do feel we're more versatile in the sense that we at least we do pull some medals from traditional sports, whereas say Norway and Austria are essentially non-entities outside of cross country or alpine skiing.

a) the most golds and overall medals of any country but get the silver in men's hockey, or

b) the gold in men's hockey and finished 7th overall in the medal standings.

I hate to crap on all the other competitors but I think it's an Olympics to forget about if we don't win the hockey. And I know that our track record on the international ice surface is not very good at all.

a) the most golds and overall medals of any country but get the silver in men's hockey, or

b) the gold in men's hockey and finished 7th overall in the medal standings.

I hate to crap on all the other competitors but I think it's an Olympics to forget about if we don't win the hockey. And I know that our track record on the international ice surface is not very good at all.

Definitely most golds/overall for me. There are several events I value above men's hockey since they decided to send NHLers. In most events events an Olympic gold is the pinnacle of the sport. In hockey it's a very distant second to the Stanley Cup, at least for North Americans.

That Slopestyle course is going to be impossible for the girls. I'm not being misogynistic, but they just can't gather the speed. The conditions are similar to the men's, so the snow isn't exactly slow, albeit looking a little slushy, but they need to have separate Slopestyle courses for the genders.

Only the Canadians(WOOP), and Americans outside of a few Swiss and other random countries seemed to be used to those type of conditions or rails/jumps transitions. It's not a fair ground for the entire female comp.

Eh, more medal chances for us.

But Turski..I can't believe she went for the larger jump after she switched back to regular in the middle of that landing. No speed. Oof.

Definitely most golds/overall for me. There are several events I value above men's hockey since they decided to send NHLers. In most events events an Olympic gold is the pinnacle of the sport. In hockey it's a very distant second to the Stanley Cup, at least for North Americans.

This is how I feel as well. I'd rather the Oilers win the cup than Canada win gold... so for me, I'd rather see Canada as a whole win the Olympics and the Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup! That's realistic, right?... right!?